Failure to communicate.

In recent weeks, as the situation in North Korea has heated up, there has been a disappointingly predictable response from certain quarters in the Christian media. To sum up: with so much gay-friendly news coverage lately, all the crazytown talk coming from North Korea is most likely just the warmup to God’s retribution for the gay-loving sinners of America. Of course. The only possible explanation.

“I would not be surprised that at the time when we are debating same-sex marriage, at a time when we are debating whether or not we should have gays leading the Boy Scout movement, I don’t think it’s just a coincidence that we have a mad man in Asia who is saying some of the things that he’s saying,” Luter said.

It’s not just that loony Luter and his chum, either. The Family Research Council weighed in last week with a fascinating prayer request:

President Obama, Secretary of Defense Hagel and the politically swayed Joint Chiefs who helped repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, desperately need our prayers for wisdom. U.S. and S.K. defense officials are “highly confident” that a North Korea launch of a medium-range missile is imminent, is “very high” (see Very High, Pulse Bomb, Just Bluster?).

See what they did there? Their prayer for our government and military is cleverly (I use the term loosely) presented in relation to the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell – as if it were somehow relevant to the current escalation in international issues. Yet again, these chuckleheads are setting up The Gays (and their allies) as scapegoats for any harm that may befall our country.

I can’t help but be fascinated that, apparently, an “all-powerful” being hasn’t yet figured out how to communicate directly with anyone (other than Pat Robertson and his ilk, that is). Every time there’s a breakdown in diplomatic talks, or a terrorist attack somewhere in the world, or a natural disaster, or school shooting, some idiot has to claim “God” is trying to send us a message. Has this guy never heard of having an open conversation with people? If he wants us to get a message, why not just come out and say so? This business of using earthquakes and insecure weirdos (either foreign or domestic) to carry vague-but-violent “messages” to us? Weaksauce, big guy. Pick up a damn phone, eh?

Given the number of entirely obvious, wholly rational explanations for all of these occurrences, it is beyond ludicrous to assign any higher meaning to any of them. So, North Korea’s leader is acting belligerent toward the United States. Again. Does it really need to be because God wants to use him to chasten us for our terrible “sin” of tolerance? Really? A mentally ill person shoots up an elementary school. Is the first, most rational explanation divine retribution? Is an earthquake or hurricane truly a divine temper tantrum? Or can we, as adults, allow the science to speak for itself, and skip the assignation of blame and meaning?

But then, I suppose I already know the answers to those questions.

*You owe it to yourself to read the scripture citations provided above, with that prayer request. I got a big kick out of reading Deuteronomy 28, especially verses 15 and following, relating to the curses for disobedience. We’re talking rape and cannibalism, y’all. So, we have that to look forward to, if these guys are right. Edifying! Oh, how I love the Good Book!